UNION COUNTY, Ark. (KTHV) - A Garland County Sheriff's deputy is arrested and being held for the U.S. Marshals.

Neil Parliment was arrested for engaging in prostitution, according to Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. Randall C. Coleman, FBI Special Agent in Charge said a release from Eldridge's office revealed that Parliment, a marine patrol officer, enticed a person to engage in the criminal act.

"The charge against the officer in this case--involving enticing a person across state lines for prostitution--is a serious one that our task force is committed to aggressively investigating," Coleman said.

The complaint against Parliment states that from January to June of 2013, he arranged for and facilitated the travel of a prostitute working out of Memphis to come to Hot Springs for the purposes of exchanging sexual activity for money. Over the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Parliment had not only engaged the services of the prostitute himself but also facilitated meetings and introductions between the prostitute and others for sexual activity.

"We expect a person in a position of public trust to not engage in criminal activity, and so certainly I think it's safe to say, speaking generally, citizens expect that of the folks that serve them," said U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge of the Western District of Arkansas.
If convicted, Parliment faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI Denied Innocence Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts is prosecuting the case for the United States.